How To Choose Carpet

How To Choose | Carpet Styles | All About Carpet Fibers
Carpet Cushion | Specialty Items | Your Retail Experience
How To Read a Carpet Label | Warranties

HOW TO CHOOSE CARPET

Carpets made of nylon and polypropylene can go anywhere in the house as far as style is concerned. So whether you buy a polypropylene berber style or a more formal look in nylon, you can be confident it will perform. In fact, these are the most popular choices and the two best performing fibers with nylon taking the lead.

Polyester does have great softness but is less likely to hold up in high traffic areas. You might want to consider polyester for your bedrooms because of it soft, plush feel and because of reduced traffic in these areas.

For sheer luxury and cache, you can’t beat wool. While it is the priciest of carpet options, you’ll see a wide variety of gorgeous looks and fashions in wool to fit any décor. Plus wool’s natural qualities ensure that you’ll be satisfied with how it looks and wears for years to come.

What you choose depends on what you need.

When thinking fashion, consider the following: What are your colors? What’s your look – modern, traditional, contemporary? How big is the room? Does it get a lot of light?

Other factors are: Who will be using the room? Got kids? Pets? Big yard leading right into your new carpet? Or is it in a room away from entrances? Do you want a soft, comfortable floor you can sit on in front of a fireplace, or when the kids are playing video games? Do you hate footprints and tracking but love big family get togethers? If it’s your bedroom, how do you want it to feel the first thing in the morning when your bare feet touch that plush carpet?

Be sure to tell your flooring sales professional so she can guide you to the right options.

One thing is for sure, especially if it’s for your home, get the best quality carpet you can afford that’s appropriate for the application. It’s an investment in your home that’s worth making. Most carpet features performance rating guidelines that are based on a 5-point scale; the higher the score, the better.

A lot depends on the application. While a plush velvet may be the right choice for your living room, you’re not likely to put it in the basement. At the same time, a solid nylon berber in the busy family room will outperform a polypropylene or blended carpet.

The single most important factor though may be simply this – that you love the way it makes your home look and feel.

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CARPET STYLES

We all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so you should always choose a product that appeals to you. However, knowing the difference among carpet styles will not only make you a more informed consumer and impress your sales representative, it will help you understand the variety of choices out there.

Berber: Although many people refer to loop style carpets as berbers, the term berber actually refers to flecks of color against a pale background, making them available in shags and friezes, as well as loop-style carpets.

Cut pile: Loops are cut, leaving individual yarn tufts. Still one of today’s most popular constructions, its durability is achieved with factors including the type of fiber, density of tufts and the amount of twist in the yarn. Examples of cut pile carpet include:

• Cable: Characterized by fat, nubby yarns that lend a touch of luxury to a casual setting.
• Friezé: In this cut pile, the yarns are extremely twisted, forming a “curly” textured surface. This informal look also minimizes footprints and vacuum marks.
• Plush/velvet: Smooth, level surfaces; formal atmosphere
• Saxony: Smooth, level finish, but pile yarns have more twist so that the yarn ends are visible and create a less-formal look. Minimizes footprints.
• Shag: Yes, they’re back. Bolder and more stylish, the new shags often combine a variety of yarn thicknesses and textures to make a trendy and bold design statement.
• Textured Saxony: The textured fibers are less likely to show vacuum marks or footprints than a true Saxony.

Cut-and-loop pile: Combination of cut and looped yarns; provides variety of surface textures, including sculptured effects of squares, chevrons and swirls.

Level-loop pile: Loops are the same height, creating an informal look. It generally performs well even in high-traffic areas. Many of today’s popular berber styles are level-loop styles with flecks of a darker color on a lighter background. Many level loops come in nylon/polypropylene blends.

Multi-level loop pile: Usually has two to three different loop heights to create pattern effects and surface texture, providing good durability and a more casual look.

Patterned carpet: By utilizing yarns of varying heights and treatments, patterned carpet offers everything from floral designs to geometric to pin-dots.

Prints: Prints can be just about anything these days in virtually any color you can imagine.

Woven: This refers to the way the carpet was constructed (woven vs. tufted) and is often the hallmark of more expensive goods. There are two types of machine-woven carpets – Axminster and Wilton. Most often refers to rugs.

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ALL ABOUT CARPET FIBER

Fiber is the building block of carpet. There are two fiber classes: natural and man-made, and each has its own unique characteristics:

Carpet fibers:

Nylon: The most popular choice is nylon. It’s not only the strongest, most-durable carpet fiber sold today, but it holds color well, resists dirt and is also soft and warm.

Polypropylene (olefin): Also a synthetic, polypropylene is generally a less expensive fiber that does not wear as well as nylon but it has one thing that makes it an ideal carpet fiber – it is extremely stain resistant. Since most polypropylene is solution dyed during the manufacturing process, color is an inherent part of the fiber. Think of polypropylene fiber as a carrot, the color runs right through it, vs. nylon which is like a radish, color on the outside of the fiber, not inside.

Polyester: Known for its extremely soft hand, polyester is perfect for less trafficked areas of the home. Its natural stain- and fade-resistance make it easy to clean and maintain. However, it is not as durable as either polypropylene or nylon.

Wool: This natural fiber has been used in the construction of carpet for centuries – and for good reason. It is soft, warm and comfortable, plus it’s easy to clean. Still, because of its higher price, wool is generally limited to upper end goods and has a more limited color range than, say, nylon.

Cotton: Some mills offer cotton carpet but this is usually relegated to area rugs and bath rugs and mats. The great advantage of cotton is its wonderful feel.

Fiber type:

Density: The thickness of the yarn and how close the tufts are spaced together. Generally, the higher the density, the better the performance. Example: High density, low density.

Pile height: The length from the backing to the top of the tufts. Example: High height, low height.

Twist: How tightly the pair of yarns in each tuft is twisted. The tighter the twist, the higher the number, the better the performance. Example: High twist, low twist.

Weight: How much fiber there is in the carpet, which explains why heavier carpets tend to cost more money. Example: High weight, low weight.

Did you Know...

Denier is a unit of measure for the linear mass density of fibers. Cross-section is the intersection of a body in three-dimensional space with a plane. Therefore, a "mixed denier/cross-section" is taking fibers of varying size or mass and weaving them together in un-uniform planes to achieve variations.

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CARPET CUSHION

Carpet cushion, or pad, not only extends the life of your carpet, it brings out the best in it. Adding to carpet’s already many benefits, cushion provides increased wear resistance, longer appearance retention, enhanced thermal insulation and noise reduction, and even make a carpet seem more luxurious and comfortable.

Cushion comes in several basic forms:
Prime – polyurethane foam like what you might find in furniture, only firmer.
Bonded – also made of polyurethane foam but bits and pieces that are rebounded into one sheet.
Rubber – offered in waffled and flat constructions, rubber pad provides a luxurious feel in lower traffic areas and firm support in high traffic installations.
Natural fibers – Jute and other natural fibers were once used as carpet backing.

Carpet cushion is sold separately; your carpet dealer will help you make the right selection.

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CARPET - SPECIALTY ITEMS

Stair rods – Used to create a distinctly formal look, stair rods come in classic styles and really lend a dramatic touch to staircases. There’s also the safety factor in that stair rods prevent the carpet from slipping.
Floor Vents – With central air and heating systems that come up through the floor, no flooring job is complete without floor vents and registers. While these specialty products can be somewhat expensive, the look of a fully finished floor can be quite dramatic.
Runners – These narrow carpets (often 3 feet wide) are perfect for hallways and staircases. They also come in a variety of styles and often are made to coordinate with existing carpet styles and patterns.
Transitions and moldings – These are the pieces that bridge one type of flooring to another. Available in virtually every flooring style you can think of, transitions and moldings put a finishing touch on your floor.

Did you know...?
Some carpet styles come in wide widths and are available with special pricing

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What You Need to Know Before You Walk into A Carpet Store...

1. What kind of carpet are you looking for?

• What colors do you like?
• What colors are already present in the room?
• What is your look — modern, transitional, contemporary?
• Do you want a soft, comfortable floor?
• How big is the room?
• Does it get a lot of light?
• Who will be using the room? Kids? Pets?
• What rooms lead into this room? A big yard? The front door? Is it in a room away from entrances?

2. How much carpet do you need? Although your flooring dealer will send a professional to take exact measurements, it’s important to have a rough estimate of your room size so you can plan your budget.

3. How much do you want to spend?

4. Are you interested in upgrade products?

5. How long do you plan to live in your current home? Believe it or not, this will let you know whether it’s worth paying more for a carpet that will last 10 years instead of five.

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HOW TO READ A CARPET LABEL:

The key to choosing the right carpet is knowing how to decipher its label. Although labels vary by manufacturer, here are some terms that typically appear.

Brand name: Refers to the carpet manufacturer or a carpet makers or retailer’s brand name

Collection: This particular carpet may be part of a grouping of a similar look or quality level.

Construction specifications: Refers to how carpet is made and things like twist, density and weight.

Certifications: Carpets often are certified by independent agencies, such as the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).

Descriptive info: Manufacturer’s description, including style and color

Pile content/Fiber type: Describes what the carpet is made from, such as Wear-Dated nylon

Pattern: Indicates size of pattern, if any

Width: Width of the roll, usually 12 or 15 feet.

Warranty: Identifies what warranties apply from both the fiber and carpet manufacturer.

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THE WARRANTY MAZE

Most carpet makers will offer a 1-year limited manufacturing defect warranty, which will guarantee their residential carpeting against manufacturing defects for a period of up to one year from the date of installation. This usually means that the carpet maker will repair or replace the affected area of the carpet extending to the nearest wall, doorway or entrance, unless replacement is warranted. Limited warranties usually are extended to the original purchaser and are not transferable.

Keep in mind that some products carry additional warranties provided by the fiber and stain-protection producers. Consult your dealer for specific warranty details and telephone numbers for warranty service.